Dollar Tree fans applaud how this store makes the little things in life possible, no matter how small a budget we’ve given ourselves. Gardeners might know this more than others; the beauty and health growing flowers and food brings into your life can be more valuable than just about any budget you throw at them. And, not everyone needs gardening supplies in the amounts sold in big box stores. Dollar Tree’s organic soil alternative, which has been causing a stir on TikTok, is a great example of this. Comparable seed-starting mixes are available at Home Depot and Lowes in much larger quantities.
Some quick back-of-the-envelope math: a 12-quart bag of a comparable mix from Home Depot is enough to start about 550 tomato seedlings. These could cover a seventh of an acre and produce 3,600 pounds of tomatoes (at an average of 6.6 lbs per plant.) The Dollar Tree soil alternative is suited for more modest goals and comes in 5.8-ounce bricks that expand to three quarts when wet. According to the packaging, the soil contains coconut and natural wood fibers, making it comparable to seed-starting mixes and compressed coconut coir bricks you can buy online and in some garden centers. Salt and chemicals present in some brands are potential drawbacks of using coconut coir in your garden, so it’s probably wise to rinse the Dollar Tree coir. While the label says it’s organic, it doesn’t display the OMRI Listed seal.
How to use the soil alternative
@solvibecollective
I bought Dollar Tree organic expanding soil to test so you don’t have to! A great find—10/10. #planttok #gardentok #planttoktips #planttoktips #blackpeoplegarden #urbanfarming #beginnergardenertips #gardeningtiktok #dollartreehacks
♬ original sound – SolVibeCollective | Kearsten W
Like peat moss, coconut coir successfully retains moisture, which is great for a gardener on the go. It doesn’t have much in the way of plant nutrition, which means it’s best for starting seeds (which bring their own nutrition to get through early life), supplementing with fertilizer, or mixing with nutrient-rich compost. Simply using this soil alternative as a seed-starting medium is great, and a 50/50 DIY mix of peat moss and coir performs as well as an Organic Home Depot option. You can also grow mature plants in coconut coir, but you’ll need a complete fertilizer, especially if you’re growing vegetables. In this situation, the coir mostly provides structure and holds moisture at the plants’ roots. All other needs are delivered via a fertilizer, much like hydroponic growing.
Maybe the best way to use the Dollar Tree deal, if you don’t mind a little bit more mess and work, is to add compost to the coir for a very rich potting soil. And ideally, you could add a little soil to improve the structure and make sure all the necessary microbes and micronutrients are present. The relatively coarse texture of the Dollar Tree coir likely makes it a better choice than finer “coconut peat” if you are looking to bring some air and texture to the compost party. And who doesn’t need a little air at a compost party, especially at such a low price?
